Youth Voice in Suicide Prevention in Hawai'i

Increasing evidence indicates that youth leadership programs that hold youth as key stakeholders are successful for suicide prevention. This project served to evaluate a train-the-trainer program for youth and their supportive adults. Hawaii's Caring Communities Initiative for Youth Suicide Prevention developed and practiced a youth leadership model to promote individual and community well-being and to decrease suicide risks. In collaboration with multiple community partners and the Hawai'i State Department of Health, Hawaii's Caring Communities Initiative brought together 57 youth and 17 supportive adults from around the state for the 2019 Prevent Suicide Hawai'i Conference: Hope, Help, and Healing, a 2-day, train-the-trainer workshop, consisting of games and activities centered towards education of suicide prevention methods, in early April 2019. Of the participants attending the workshop, 44 youth and 12 supportive adults completed surveys measuring knowledge about suicide prevention and local resources, and comfort level in delivering the programs. Open-ended questions were also used to assess whether key messages were conveyed. Quantitative analyses indicated the lessons helped the participants retain the information better and increased their comfort with the material. The power of youth voice was a common theme in the qualitative data, exemplified by the statement: "We can actually make a difference in our school and community." Findings suggest that youth engagement is an important factor in preventing suicide. Interventions centered on strength-based models of youth leadership may promote healing and enhance prevention strategies to address persistent suicide disparities in minority communities by promoting their voices in the community.